A wildfire forced the evacuation of dozens of residents and threatened more than 50 structures near Mt. Diablo State Park in Contra Costa County on Sunday, fire officials said. Nearly 250 firefighters battled the blaze with air tankers and helicopters as it quickly spread to 800 acres amid high temperatures and dry conditions.It was 10% contained by Sunday evening, but crews hoped to bring it fully under control by Monday morning, said Brandon Leitzke, battalion chief for Cal Fire.

California and the West, which have experienced a surge in wildfire during the last decade, can expect more of the same with global warming, according to a study published Tuesday. “A lot of the West, California included, really does look like it's headed into a more fire-prone future,” said Max Moritz, a UC Cooperative Extension wildfire specialist and lead author of a new paper that examined climate change's likely effects on global fire patterns. The American West will not be alone, according to the research, published in the journal Ecosphere.

As investigators swarm the former gold-mining town of Yarnell, Ariz., to examine the fateful decisions leading up to the deaths of 19 firefighters from the Granite Mountain hotshots, their presence is unlikely to ease tensions among the survivors. More than a decade ago, a similar blaze whipped through a canyon 30 miles north of Winthrop, Wash. Four firefighters died in circumstances eerily similar to those at Yarnell, killed in their emergency shelters as a fast-moving fire burned over them.

Hundreds of additional firefighters have been called to battle a wildfire in Big Sur that has consumed 500 acres and destroyed 15 homes. The ranks of 400 firefighters on the lines Monday were increased to 625 by Tuesday morning. U.S. Forest Service officials said they had no containment of the fire and do not even have an accurate count of acreage burned because of the heavy smoke and rough terrain. The Pfeiffer fire, so named because it started in the area of Pfeiffer Ridge in the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest, has also forced about 100 people to evacuate near state Highway 1, officials said.

Crews fighting a wildfire in Big Sur hoped to seize on improving weather conditions to gain an upper hand on the largely uncontrolled blaze. The Pfeiffer fire, so named because it started in the area of Pfeiffer Ridge in the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest, had grown only slightly overnight Monday to 550 acres, but it was only 5% contained, officials said. PHOTOS: Big Sur fire rages uncontrolled As of Tuesday, about 100 people had been forced to evacuate near state Highway 1 after the blaze destroyed at least 15 homes, including one that belonged to Big Sur Fire Chief Martha Karstens.

Authorities are investigating if a person deliberately ignited a wildfire that's burned more than 750 acres in San Diego County. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Capt. Mike Mohler told the San Diego Union-Tribune are investigating the General fire as a possible arson. The blaze was discovered shortly after noon Sunday east of California 79, southeast of Julian. Flames were spreading east, away from buildings and pushed on by winds that were expected to increase Monday afternoon.

About 700 residents were being allowed back to their homes Tuesday night as firefighters made progress battling a wildfire near Yosemite National Park. The Carstens fire had burned more than 1,800 acres and was 40% contained Tuesday night, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. The fire was sparked by a campfire, according to agency officials. The blaze was still threatening about 500 structures, but residents with identification were being allowed back into the Lushmeadow area, the agency said.

Firefighters in southwestern New Mexico continued to battle the largest wildfire in the state's recorded history Friday as the flames scorched stretches of the Gila Wilderness. Experts say the massive blaze could be a preview of things to come this fire season as the rest of the West copes with a dangerous combination of wind, low humidity and dry brush. The Whitewater-Baldy blaze in New Mexico has charred more than 216,000 acres in Gila National Forest and has become the largest wildfire burning in the country, officials said Friday.

More than 100 buildings are threatened and more than 1,200 acres have burned in a Santa Barbara County wildfire that could be pushed deeper into the brush Tuesday by dangerously strong winds. The so-called White fire appears to have started near a campsite in the Los Padres National Forest at about 2:30 p.m. Monday. The blaze was only 10% contained Tuesday morning and the U.S. Forest Service predicted firefighters wouldn't gain full control over it until next week. About 1,000 campers and 4,000 mountain residents were evacuated Monday.